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Collecting 101

Authenticity

F A Q

Some basic information that's priceless:

Autograph collecting can be a fun and profitable hobby if the new collector takes the time to learn the difference between authentic signatures and questionable signatures. This is usually not done overnight, but with a little effort the collector can become very accustomed at spotting that "too good to be true" piece of sports memorabilia. We have outlined a three part philosophy that keeps the guessing out of autograph collecting.

BIG DISTRIBUTORS

Buy autographs from reputable companies who sign athletes under contract. Believe it or not, athletes sign for money and in most cases its a large amount of money. For instance, John Elway, who has signed with Mounted Memories for years, charges around $150.00 for his signature alone. Do not expect to get an authentic Elway mini helmet for $75.00, it just will not happen. In defense of Elway, he donates a large part of his signing money to charity.

If you purchase an item from "Mom and Pops Memorabilia" and it comes with their COA (Certificate of Authenticity),do not expect this piece to gain value over the years. But on the other hand, if you buy a Michael Jordan jersey from UDA (Upper Deck Authenticated) you can feel confident that this piece is authenticated and that its value will continue to rise over the years. It is very important to learn which athletes are signing with what companies. You should know that Jordan signs with UDA and that Sosa signs with Total Sports Concepts. They have exclusive signing rights with these athletes. Many other athletes enter into exclusive contracts as well. Take the time to learn this, it will help you in your purchasing decisions.

COLLECTING "IN PERSON"

If you do not want to pay for an authentic item, then you can try and get your favorite athletes signature in person. This is not going to be an easy task, but it can be done if you are lucky enough to see the athlete. Most athletes will gladly sign an autograph for a fan, but do not expect he or she to sign six helmets or baseballs. DO NOT purchase "In Person" autographs from other people or companies. This is definitely a sure fire way to get yourself a forged signature. If you are going to collect this way, make sure you can get the signature while YOU are the one standing in front of the athlete. There is a local dealer here in our town that sells about twenty Dan Marino items a week that he supposedly gets "In Person". Marino signs under contract and there is just no way that this dealer can get that many signatures from him.

ASK US

We will be happy to answer all of your autograph collecting questions.